Frozen: The Council of the Elements (Frozen 1,5)
by Maana Cristina
Summary: A concept of what (could have) happened between the first and second movies. Please let me know if I should continue! Merely weeks after the events of Frozen I, a new threat has appeared in the cover of night. What does this bode for the sisters and for Arendelle?
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: All rights to "Frozen" and all its affiliate characters, settings etc. are owned by Disney. The opinions and content expressed here are personal thoughts of the author and does not intend in any way to assume ownership of the "Frozen" franchise.**

**Chapter 1**

Anna woke up with a start. Her feet were ice cold. The air was frigid. White clouds formed from her mouth as she breathed heavily. Something was wrong, but she couldn't –

Her mind was dazed in half-sleep. Her eyes felt sticky. She should go back to sleep, under the blanket. The _ice_ will melt in the morni –

"Elsa!"

She shot out of bed, almost tripping over her cold feet. They were beginning to feel numb and prickly. Alarm and worry snapped her wide awake as she raced out of her room, across the corridor to her sister's room. She stopped and gasped.

Her sister's room door was covered in ice; crystal stalagmites entrapping the edges and extending out onto the corridor like the roots of a tree. So cold was the air, that a light mist had formed along the hallway. Snow-white rime caked the blue and green patterns on the door, and the doorknob was –

A sound of something falling, voices shouting.

Elsa was in danger! She had to help her now!

Anna reached for the doorknob and instantly pulled back as the freezing metal burned her hands. She had to get in somehow. "Elsa!" she yelled across the door. More tumbling and _thud_ noises. She tried to break down the door with her elbow, but the ice had frozen the lock and hinges solid. "Guards!" she cried out, as loudly as she could, but there was no one in the corridor. They would take too long. She had to get in _now._

She looked around for anything she could use. Potted plants, vases, curtains… Why did they have so many _useless _things lying around the corridor?!

There! A suit of armour!

She dashed over to unhook the shield from the glove. The metal was lightly covered in rime as well, but more importantly, it was _heavy. _She tore off a piece of her night dress to wrap around her hand before touching it.

She ran back to Elsa's door, icy columns thickening around the borders by the second, her bare feet screaming in protest at having to step directly on ice. "I'm coming, Elsa!"

She braced the shield with both hands, cold sweat from anxiety making her grip slippery, smarting her wounds. With as much force as she could, she rammed the thickest edge of the shield once, twice, three times before the door finally gave in.

"Elsa!" she burst in, shield in hand, ready to face whatever it was that –

"Anna," a familiar, warm voice brought her attention to Elsa crouching in the middle of the room, hands outstretched, as if waiting to shoot her magic. She was panting, her eyes were wide with fear. A black stain smeared over one of her sleeves.

Anna looked around, and saw a picture of perfect destruction. Shards of glass and other debris littered the floor, the beautifully polished cedar canopy now shattered and collapsed over the bed, its razor-sharp splinters lacerating the mattress. Spatters of ice bursts and black streaks marked every discernible surface, the drapes were torn and singed, the window destroyed –

_Singed?_

"Anna, wait there," Elsa's warm voice hardened with worry, with concern, with fear as she edged closer to the window – now more like a hole in the wall – and craned over as she scanned the castle grounds.

"Elsa, what happened?" Anna walked closer, wanting to be as close to Elsa as possible if something were to happen again. Elsa's forearm gently stopped her short, while she continued glaring into the darkness of night. "Th-"

"Your Majesty!" a gruff call made them both jump and whirl around to see the Guard Captain that had just arrived with a small group of palace guards. "Your Majesty, we fe-, I mean heard the noise and…," his stoic expression faltered, "what happened…?"

"Gather your men and do a full sweep of the grounds," Elsa commanded, squaring her back straight and stiff whenever she assumed authority, "there's been an intruder."

The captain saluted and turned to carry out her commands. "Proceed with caution, Captain," Elsa warned, "this man is armed and dangerous," her expression was hard. The captain was caught by surprise, but quickly recovered, saluted again, and went off with his squad.

"Elsa, please, talk to me," Anna rested a hand on Elsa's shoulder, "what happened?" the comparably warm night air of summer wafted into the room, carrying with it hints of pine and sea and burnt brick.

Elsa sighed, and the tension in her shoulders somewhat dissipated. "Someone… tried to attack me in my sleep, Anna," the warmth in her voice had returned, but there was also fear and exhaustion. She looked at Anna with tired, sad eyes, "and… he was… like me…except…"

Anna was still trying to wrap her head around the _attack-the-Queen-in-her-sleep_ part, but she urged her sister to continue, "Except? Except what, Elsa?" Her hands ached painfully, and she suddenly realised she had been gripping the shield very hard. Her wounded hand was chafing.

"Except it was fire," Elsa finished. "He had fire magic, Anna."

She felt her jaw drop, she heard the faint clang of the shield dropping, but none of it registered as her mind momentarily short-circuited with this new piece of information.

"Wait, what?"


	2. Moments

**Chapter 2: Moments**

"Arendelle is a port kingdom – which means it relies on trade. Its main exports are craftwork, ice and fish, as well as signature confections like Arendelle chocolate. But, while it owns a respectable amount of farmland, it is by no means self-sufficient. Most of its food items, like fruits and barley and certain raw materials for craftwork, come from international imports.

"Then came the order to close the gates, and Arendelle was meant to isolate itself from the rest of the world for thirteen years. Unfortunately, without any trade, without any shipments, the people would starve. The craftsmen would have no materials to practise their craft and the merchants no one to sell to.

"As a form of compromise, a trading post was built a distance away from the burg as a means to sustain international trade, while still keeping the castle, and me, isolated. In order to attract merchants and traders to this new post, a new shipyard with remunerable services was erected alongside it. Our chocolates may be good, but Arendelle produces the finest ships this side of the world. We have the best shipwrights _and_ the best materials right here.

"And, we are currently the only shipyards in the world capable of manufacturing icebreakers."

"Wooow. You'd think a wedge and a hammer were relatively easy to make," Olaf gaped with childlike wonder. Elsa chuckled.

"No, Olaf. Icebreakers are ships specifically built to withstand naval exploration in ice."

"…Wooow," his expression did not change.

"Anyway, after thirteen years of operation, both the shipyard and the trading post have expanded to form Torgovetsstad, a merchant town. The town itself is run by a Merchants' Guild, but it still falls under Arendelle authority."

* * *

"And that's where we're headed now?" Olaf hopped and bounced excitedly around her. "Yes, Olaf. As soon as Anna and Kristoff – "

"We're here!" Anna was hobbling as fast as she could over to the carriage bearing a heavy-looking haversack, Kristoff and Sven at her heels. A quartet of guards trotted two steps behind them, cautiously surveying the crowd and their surroundings.

Anna braced herself against the door of the carriage as she puffed laboriously, trying to catch her breath. "Good morning, Kristoff. Hello, Sven," Elsa greeted the reindeer-man duo smoothly. Anna held a finger up, tried to say something, but only coughed and wheezed. The duo reciprocated her greeting, Sven nuzzling into Elsa's open hands for her to coddle. His muzzle was warm and damp, his whiskers tickled.

The day before, Elsa had received a disturbing letter from the Head Foreman of the Arendelle Shipyard in Torgovetsstad, Nikolas, alluding to some trouble. An unsanctioned ship had docked and refused to leave until they had audience with the Queen of Arendelle. And they have been there for _days_. Such a thing should normally have been reported immediately by the Merchant Guild Master, who oversees the entire merchant town – which was another thing she had to look into.

And then on the same night, someone with fire magic had tried to assassinate her.

"Anna told us about last night. Are you okay?" Kristoff inquired with genuine concern. "I'm alright. Just a little tired," Elsa smiled politely. His eyes wandered to bandages wrapped around her right arm, "Does it still hurt?"

"What, _this_?" she tittered while self-consciously covering it with her other hand, "It's just a scratch. I barely even notice it." It had hurt. It had smarted a lot that night, as if many small somethings kept tearing her skin open again and again. She had tried using her ice magic to heal it, but it had made the burn worse. Gerda had shrieked in horror and dressed her wound after that, swatting her hands away whenever she tried to touch it.

* * *

"Anyway, thanks for letting us come, Elsa," Kristoff shrugged sheepishly while subconsciously reaching for the back of his neck. Sven sniffed at her bandages, mewling sympathisingly. She stroked his nose with tender affection. "I was thinking of having my gear repaired soon," he explained, "and getting some new clothes and blankets, maybe a new halter for Sven – "

"What's with… all the guards… _Elsa_?!" Anna rasped finally. She unloaded her haversack onto the carriage with a _thunk _so loud it made Elsa wince. "What are you carrying in there that's so heavy?"

"_Everything_. Because I'm preparing for _every possibility _on this adventure," Anna's eyes shone with wild excitement, then she blinked, as if she just remembered something. "_Any possibility_, like being attacked by a magic person, for example. Or being stranded in the woods. Or having no water to drink. Or…"

"This isn't some dangerous adventure, Anna," Elsa tried to calm her sister down, "it's just a quick visit to Torgovetsstad and back."

"But it could be," Olaf chimed in. "the beginning of one."

Elsa sighed, "We'll be gone three days, at most. And there are already supplies in the carriage. Besides," Elsa lifted Anna's chin gently with her finger, "we'll be accompanied by guards the whole way. Even if someone tries to as- attack me again, we'll be fine."

"_Exactly_," Anna huffed, _"you're_ the one who got attacked, so why am _I _being followed by guards _everywhere_?" she quickly added for the guards behind her, "No offence, guys," to which they shifted nervously.

"Because you're _important_ to me, Anna. More than anything," Elsa cupped her sister's face, "I don't know what the attacker's true intentions are yet. But they could use you to get to me, which makes you a likely target.

"And I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

* * *

Anna took her hand in both of hers. The fabric of the bandage covering her ripped skin when she touched the cold doorknob grazed Elsa's skin, stabbing her with a pang of guilt. "I know," Anna said softly, "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you either," her unbandaged hand was warm, kind. Her teal eyes were filled with emotion, and for a split second took on a haunted look as if reliving some traumatic experience… "but everything will be fine, as long as we face it together."

Anna pulled her into a warm embrace, "You're not alone anymore. I'm right here by your side. And that's where I'll stay. Always. Okay?"

Elsa hugged her back, "Okay." They stayed like that for a while.

"So… Are we leaving soon, or…?" Olaf's voice startled them apart.

Hastily, they boarded the carriage, both Elsa's and Anna's guards taking their place around the carriage on horseback. Kristoff unloaded some of Sven's baggage onto the carriage, then began to mount him.

"Come sit inside with us!" Anna popped her head out of the carriage, smiling expectantly. "Oh, uh," Kristoff glanced at Sven, then back at Anna, "You sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure! Come on!" she gestured him to hurry.

"Um, alright then!" Kristoff brightened. He climbed into the carriage and sat himself self-contently next to Anna. Then suddenly the carriage tilted violently as Sven also climbed into the carriage, ducking low so his antlers did not get stuck on the ceiling. The guards exchanged unsure looks. It was a royal carriage, so there was enough space in it, but well…

"Oh."

"Is this some kind of new cervine-equestrian power move? Because I can't think of any other reason a reindeer would be caught _alive_ riding a horse carriage," Olaf bemused. Sven bayed merrily. "Establishing yourself as the higher echelon earlier on in the relationship, huh?" Olaf nodded knowingly, as Sven began nipping at the carrot tip of his nose. "Smart move. I hope that when I grow up, I'll be as socially adept as you."

Sven bayed again. "Aw, thank you, Sven!" Olaf hugged the reindeer. Elsa found herself laughing and smiling at the pair, and all the tension from last night just melted away. That was how it always was with this company. They made her forget the expectations placed upon her as ruler, they made her feel like her worries were insignificant and easily solvable. They made an ice queen feel warm and fuzzy inside, comfortable and relaxed.

* * *

When she was in court, everyone treated her tentatively, _warily_, as if she might suddenly 'ice' someone. The servants and the guards adhered too strictly to decorum. True, she had rarely come out of her room before the coronation, rarely interacted with anyone. But there was a distinct difference between how they had acted toward her on the day of the coronation, and how they acted after she came back and unfroze Arendelle.

Yes, they cheered when she lifted the snowstorm. Yes, they danced with her and sang with her and applauded her tricks. They smiled politely at her when she passed by. But they always kept an arm around their children, always tried to look extra busy with something when she walked by, and then sighed with relief when they thought she was out of earshot.

It was as warm a welcome as she could expect. She had not really done them any favours, even before she was coronated. The presence of Torgovetsstad meant craftsmen and merchants living within the burg had to be separated often from their families. _She _had done that. And then there was that eternal snowstorm after the coronation, that she had not even known she had created. Who would believe her if she suddenly came back saying she had everything perfectly under control?

"_These things take time," _Anna had said encouragingly. "_You are a _great _queen. You are the kindest, bravest, wisest person I know. Once they realise that, they will open up to you._" She had smiled so radiantly and so confidently that Elsa had been moved to believe her as well. "_Okay,_" she had replied, rejuvenated by her little sister's energy.

Anna made her feel treasured, _loved_. It was a feeling she had all but forgotten since the death of her parents. And she loved Anna back, _fiercely_, with every fibre of her being. She had not realised how much she missed her. Thirteen years of austerely avoiding Anna had made her hyper-sensitive to even the smallest things, like seeing her appear from around a corner and not wanting to run. Eating together. Watching her braid her hair. Being able to hold her, to touch her without fear of hurting her, being in the same room, in the same space as her, hearing her banter with Kristoff and Olaf while gesticulating animatedly – it filled her heart with so much joy it began to ache.

She wished moments like these would never end, that she could trap these moments in boxes and relive them again and again. Even as the carriage wobbled and jerked over the stone-and-gravel path, and the afternoon summer sun made its way across the sky to the other side of the horizon and bathed everything in a marigold glow, and Anna's beloved voice faded into nothing along with Olaf's and the reindeer-man duo's chatter, and her eyelids drooped heavily, she wished moments like…these…

Would…... never…

…

…_end_.


	3. Arrival

**A/N: Wow, my first author's note. Okay, cool.  
**

**First of all, I apologise for the delay on the update. I'm also sorry to have to tell you that chapter updates are unfortunately going to be farther apart from now on. The new term is starting and I...(sigh) I have a thesis. More writing and researching. But rest assured, I definitely plan to finish this story. After my thesis.  
**

**I'd like to thank everyone who's been following the story, and also those who left comments. I've tried to improve the writing style ( Guest has it improved?). As usual, I'd love if you would drop me comments, constructive criticisms or reviews on the characters, concept, writing etc.**

**Happy Spring!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Arrival**

Elsa jolted awake, unable to remember what it was she had been dreaming about, nevertheless feeling the vestiges of disquietude that could only have been borne from a nightmare. She peeked outside the curtain, and saw that they had arrived.

Torgovetsstad was a merchant town situated by a harbour. From the outside, however, it looked more like a stronghold. Thick, wooden barricades supported by buttresses formed the outer wall, with evenly spaced archer towers and turrets. The wall filling was thick enough that there was a wall walk over which the Arendelle soldiers could patrol, as they maintained order both inside and outside the wall. Two flags could be seen waving over the central turret; one was the Arendelle national flag and the other belonged to the Merchant's Guild. The portcullis was closed and guarded by several uniformed men in a customs booth.

"That's a lot of security for a merchant town," Kristoff piped, looking out the carriage window. "Well, the concession granted to the Merchant's Guild allows them to govern the town and oversee any operations as they see fit, while Arendelle provides military support and security. This was so the trading port could function, even while located a distance away from the main kingdom," Anna explained, her line of sight falling on the customs booth. "Though I admit this does seem a little overboard."

They reached the booth, out of which two guards with spears stepped out, "Halt! State your business here!" They were wearing light armour, and their spears were not the same ones used in Arendelle.

"Erm, hello? Royal carriage?" Anna poked her head out and gestured around, "Royal guards? Mean anything to you?"

"I'm going to have to see some papers," the guard stood his ground. Anna scoffed, "Excuse me?!"

"It's okay, Anna. They're just doing their job," Elsa alighted from the carriage and presented the royal seal with her family crest gilded in bronze. The guard gulped.

"Your Majesty! My deepest apologies. We didn't know you were coming!" Both the guards bowed low. "I supposed I should have sent word first," Elsa bemused, "but why is the security here so strict?"

The guards exchanged confused looks, "The security here has always been like this, Your Majesty. We sometimes get rather curious folk around here."

"Curious folk?"

"Yes. That's why we only allow entry for someone with a certified licence."

She knew about the licences. It was a system designed by the Merchant Guild Master that also denoted the level of 'citizenship' in the town. There was the 'natural licence', that basically permitted entry and exit of the town, the 'elevated licence', which additionally permitted the use of other faculties such as banking and warehousing without service tax, and the highest 'trade seal', which enabled one to also own property within Torgovetsstad, among other things.

"I'm only allowed to draw temporary natural licences for each member of your party," the older guard disappeared back into the booth, "you will need to get higher order licences to be able to fully use all the facilities here. And it's my duty to make sure that, as owners of a licence, you are all aware of the rules here."

"Ah, yes," the younger guard dictated the rules perfectly committed to memory, "you are expected to abide by the prices as is befitting of your licences, including any additional service tax that might be charged.

"You may use all facilities and services here, upon payment of the additional taxes.

"You are allowed to trade your items, so long as it does not have any magical, sorcerous or supernatural qualities, in compliance with the Anti-Thaumaturgy Act. The trade of living items requires special permission from the Merchant Guild.

"You are not allowed to bring in any magical, sorcerous or supernatural items within the borders of Torgovetsstad for the duration of your stay, in compliance with the Anti-Thaumaturgy Act. If you do have such items, you will have to declare those items at a security checkpoint and submit them for safekeeping. You may collect them upon departure.

"You are not allowed to perform any magical, sorcerous or supernatural services or activities within the borders of Torgovetsstad for the duration of your stay, in compliance with the Anti-Thaumaturgy Act.

"Any conduct that results in the violation of the Anti-Thaumaturgy Act will result in immediate confiscation of your licence, and a possible ban from Torgovetsstad.

"Any questions?"

"Yes," Olaf suddenly appeared by Elsa's side, "What's the Anti-Thaumaturgy Act?"

"A snowman in summer!" the younger guard exclaimed, as if that was most surprising part of it all. "Well, it basically means that Torgovetsstad is enforcing Arendelle's ban on magical influences, and that it's strictly a no-magic-…zone…" his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing with what he had been told.

"There's no such thing as the Anti-Thaumaturgy Act," Elsa's expression darkened. "I would know of it."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I think there is," the guard began to look unsure of himself, "it's the fundamental law of this whole town."

"Then what about me?" Elsa opened her palm, forming arcs of white snow, "I'm magic."

The guard began to fidget. "It means that," the older, more experienced guard sounded from the booth, "Your Majesty may enter the town, so long as you don't use your magic in public," he emerged carrying a tangle of wooden plaques the size of his palm with writing on them. "But the snowman has to stay here."

"Olaf is coming with us," Anna had come out now, standing beside her sister. "We're not leaving him here for some…ancient…obsolete law that no one remembers."

"The law has been in effect since His Majesty King Agnarr's time," the older guard looked serious. Elsa's mind reeled at the implication. _Her father made this law? But she was… But no, it couldn't…_

"I don't believe you," Anna met the guard's stare, "There must be some mistake."

The guard sighed, "Even if you don't believe me, Your Highness, I'm under strict orders from the Guild Master himself. I cannot let the snowman pass."

"Olaf comes with us," Elsa squared her shoulders and folded her hands in front of her, assuming her authority stance, "I'll take full responsibility for anything that happens."

The older guard looked pained, "Your Majesty, I…"

"Do you doubt me," she stole a brief look at the badges on his uniform, "Lieutenant?". He stood straight and saluted, "Of course not, Your Majesty," but his eyes betrayed a hint of vexation.

He handed each of them and the Royal Guard a plaque, and gave them directions to the nearest stable. As two of the Royal Guard left to attend to the carriage and their horses, the rest of the party proceeded on foot, as the portcullis was lifted up to allow them in.

They had arrived very late in the evening, and the sky had taken on various shades of blue and purple and orange. A wide cobblestone road enough to fit three carriages extended out, before bending at some distance to her right. Narrower pathways branched out from the road, meandering between clusters of houses and buildings. There were lamp posts at regular intervals, their soft glow becoming brighter as the sun began to set. Most of the stores had closed; only the taverns gave any indication of life from the light and ruckus that seeped out.

Elsa's attention was drawn to a pair of men and a youth arguing a few paces ahead of her. They were surrounded by armed soldiers.

"I told you…not allowed this far…pushing…"

"…not listening! Just…audience… the Queen…"

One of them was a straw-haired young man, the other a very old man with a cane. His back was so hunched he only reached up to her elbow. The youth, who looked similar to the young man but a few years younger than Anna, was quiet throughout this exchange.

"What seems to be the problem here?" she asked as she approached them. The old man wagged his chin in dismissal, "This doesn't concern you, girl," his voice sounded like scrubbing a rag on a washboard as he waved her away, "be on your way."

"On the contrary, I think this does concern me, seeing as I am the Queen," Elsa mustered as much authority and confidence as she could as the old man turned to give her a piercing look that could have cut metal.

"You're the Queen? Oh, thank the spirits!" the young man looked overjoyed and relieved, "I've been trying to get an audience with you for days!"

"Why didn't you just come by the Arendelle port?"

His brow furrowed, "Isn't this the Arendelle port?"

The old man slammed his stick on the cobbled road. "As far as you're concerned, you're not allowed anywhere on Arendelle."

"Why did you want an audience with me?" Elsa asked, genuinely curious.

"Ah yes," the man made an extravagant bow, "my name is Skylar, and this is my brother Swyft. My crew and I are here on behalf of the Council of Elements to negotiate a diplomatic arrangement with Arendelle."

"Council of Elements?"

"Yes," Skylar cleared his throat, "Though, we're actually more an association at this point. It started off as a council, but as it got bigger, no one bothered to change the name, so there's that. Bureaucracy, am I right?" he shrugged his shoulders and gave a her a lopsided smile. "We have the largest assemblage of element users around the world, though we prefer to call ourselves _elemental artists_."

"What do you mean by element users?"

"A person who has some control over an element. My brother and I, for example, are air artists," he cupped his palms in front of her, and she felt a whoosh of air blow past her.

"Did you just do that?" she could not believe it. _A whole association of magic users?_ He nodded, his lopsided smile stretching, and again she felt that gush of air. The Torgovetsstad soldiers took and aggressive stance and aimed their weapons at the two air artists. Almost instantly, her own Royal Guard responded by tensing up, weapons raised. "Stand down," the old man raised his palm as he gave the order. Elsa did the same.

Elemental artists. _There were others like her!_ "This is incredible!" she could not contain her excitement. _There were others like her!_ "Do you have any ice artists?"

"If negotiations are a success," he bowed again, "you would be our first."

Her face fell. "But we do have water artists," he added quickly. "Often, an element manifests itself differently depending on where the artist is from. And, even though the elements are different, the governing principles behind them are generally the same."

He leaned closer and whispered, "So, it's true then? You have ice powers?"

She grinned and rolled a finger over an open palm. Her magic swirled and coalesced to form an ice sculpture of a horse. Swyft stared at it with wide-eyed wonder. She offered the horse to him, which he accepted after receiving a nod from his elder brother.

"Ignoring the fact that you just broke a dozen laws within minutes of being here," the old man was growing more miffed at being ignored, "will you _please_ explain to me what you're doing here?"

Elsa shifted her attention to the old man, who she was liking less by the minute, "I received a letter that there was a problem, that a ship was denied disembarking permissions, and that its crew had requested an audience."

"I sent no such letter," he spat.

"It was sent by the Head Foreman Nikolas," she gave the old man a cool stare, "and I must say I'm glad he did."

The old man slapped his forehead. "That idiot ship-hugger!" He groaned, and began massaging the bridge of his crooked nose, "You should not be here, and you most definitely should not listen to any of this man's wild claims."

"And who might you be to tell me that?"

He stared at her as if she was a little child who had just spilt milk, "I am Guild Master of the Merchant Guild in Arendelle, Damian Osario. Torgovetsstad is under my jurisdiction."

This was the Guild Master? Good. She had quite a few questions for him as well. "My _claims_ are legitimate," Skylar scowled.

"Your claims?" Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Everywhere we go, people think we're _abnormal_. Some of them celebrate us, most of them scorn us, and some of them take advantage of our abilities." His eyes shone with anger and hurt, "We, as representatives of the Council, go around the world looking for people like us, helping them understand their abilities better, giving them the opportunity to interact with others like them," he looped an arm around his brother, "No one understands us like our own. So, we and our own stick together.

"Our network of elemental artists is vast, precisely because we have members from almost every part of the world. Imagine, in some other faraway country, a young girl with freezing powers like yours wouldn't have to learn to live with it alone. _You _could be there to help her. To teach her how to make her own ice horses."

It was certainly tempting. If someone had been around when she was a girl, and had taught her how to use her powers, maybe she wouldn't have hurt –

"Hogwash!" Osario squawked. "You're nothing but a bunch of liars and murderers and criminals!"

"Well, I'm sure this is all just a simple misunderstanding…" Elsa tried to mitigate the growing tension between the two men. "And you!" Osario shook a finger at her, "You shouldn't be poking your nose in things you know _nothing _about!"

"I _beg_ your pardon –"

"So I'm guessing, if you're a group of element users, that you have members with fire abilities as well?" There was a cacophony of clanks and thumps as Anna set her great big bag of everything on the ground to join in the conversation. Kristoff, Sven and Olaf had also caught up with them.

"Elemental _artists_. And yes, Madam, we do have fire artists."

"And I don't suppose you…sent one of them in advance to – I don't know – _secure an audience?_"

"Uh…no," Skylar looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

Anna gently pulled on Elsa's arm to bring her out of earshot, "Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence that a whole ship of elemental users shows up at the same time you got attacked?"

"It is," Elsa agreed, "But they want to negotiate a diplomatic agreement. Wouldn't attacking me have the opposite effect?"

"That's assuming they want a diplomatic agreement. What if they just want an excuse to get in the castle?"

It was true. She had been so excited to learn that there were others like her, that she had not even considered the possibility that they could harm Arendelle. That they might want to harm _her_. It suddenly made her feel very silly and alone.

Seeing her sister's crestfallen countenance, Anna placed an encouraging hand over Elsa's cheek, "Hey, I'm not saying we dismiss them completely. For all we know they could, in fact, be sincere. I'm just saying we proceed with caution, okay?"

It had been a good idea to bring Anna after all. Had she come alone, her judgement would have been biased, and she could have jeopardised the safety of her kingdom. Elsa curled her fingers over Anna's wrist, and was about to thank her, when they heard Skylar yell. "The heck with your stupid Act. You have living snowmen walking around and you're saying _we_ violated the law? What is your problem?!"

"I've been telling you from day one that you and your kind are not welcome here!"

"My kind? Have you forgotten that your Queen also has ice powers?"

"Your kind can't be trusted! And for your information, _I _make the rules here!"

"Speaking of which," Anna tried to break the argument by drawing attention to herself, "I don't remember reading anything about an Anti-Thaumaturgy Act. Where, exactly, did you derive it from?"

"The Anti-Thaumaturgy Act is a law that was passed in Arendelle during King Agnarr's reign, _Princess _Anna," Osario shot a pointed look at Skylar, "it forms the basis for the rules of governance here, and was a prerequisite for the town's creation."

"Well luckily, I…" she bent down to fish for something in her haversack, "brought a copy of… Arendelle International and Foreign Trade Law," she stuffed her hand deeper, trying to locate the book with only the light from the lamp posts, "so we can confirm it… right… now."

"You won't find it there," Osario rolled his eyes, "it's filed under Arendelle Municipal Law, subsection Land Concessions."

"Oh." Anna stood up and placed her hands akimbo. "Then I got nothing."

"Look, it's getting late," Kristoff spoke up, "why don't we all just go to sleep and pick this up in the morn- "

There was a loud _fwoosh _sound, followed by the _thunk _of wood embedding itself in something. Elsa blinked, and a bolt shaft appeared over Anna's chest. Anna stumbled backwards.

"Anna?" Behind them, one of the Royal Guard was barking orders. Elsa panicked. This had been a horrible idea. Why did she let Anna come with her?_ Anna should never have come here!_

Anna looked down at the piece of wood lodged in her chest. She opened her mouth, tried to say something, but no voice came out. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the shaft. She looked up at Elsa, her eyes brimming with fear. A tear streamed down her face. She stretched out a trembling hand to Elsa, just as she began falling backward. Kristoff reached over to catch her. Elsa screamed.


	4. Snowfall

**Chapter 4: Snowfall**

She remembered it was one sunny day. She was locked in her study, nose buried under piles of papers and books, when Anna suddenly burst inside full of energy, making her jump. "It's a great day outside! Let's have some fun!"

Warm rays of light shone through the window behind her, illuminating specks of dust and other particles floating about. "I'd love to, Anna, but I can't. I'm not done with this yet," she tried to communicate the full depth of her regret in her expression, but Anna was not looking. Her inquisitive little sister twirled about as she took in the rows upon rows of books, the desk, the couch and a tabletop in a corner of her study, waving her hand in front of her nose and mouth. "How do you – _cough – _work in this place? I'm surprised I haven't found any mushrooms growing on you."

Anna crossed over behind her table to spread the drapes completely, then opened the window. The full might of the summer sun slammed upon Elsa's back, making her arch with an _Oof!_

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Is it too hot? Are you going to melt?" Anna rushed to her side, her face warped with horror and worry. "No, no, I'm fine," Elsa chuckled, "Just caught by surprise, that's all." Beams of white light caressed her sister's face and hair, making her look almost angelic, as her lips curved into the most beautiful smile. Elsa found herself smiling as well, taking in the glowing features of her darling sister. Perhaps she really _was _an angel.

"Elsa?" Anna tilted her head in question.

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing."

"Elsa?"

"Yes, Anna?"

"Elsa?"

* * *

"Elsa, please! STOP!" Kristoff's voice bellowed. Elsa blinked.

The town was thrown into icy chaos. A ferocious snowstorm had surged, building up into a terrible blizzard. Rough, cold winds were ripping boards off roofs and walls, weaker structures all but decimated. Her surroundings had been reduced to white and grey, as if someone had wrapped an ash-coloured cloth around her; the occasional blinking yellow from distant, unblown lamp posts were the only sources of light in this night. Detritus and ripped fabric were hurled into the air to join in the stormy maelstrom of dark clouds that had suddenly gathered. Thunder clapped ominously, primordial magic forcing the clouds to move and scrape and swirl around each other. A thick blanket of snow shrouded the cobblestone path, hiking up the buildings and settling heavily upon the roofs.

Elsa's hand was outstretched. She had not noticed; she did not remember doing all thi-

At the other end of her hand, was the throat of the man who called himself Skylar, encased up to the chin in her ice. The Guild Master, his soldiers and some of her Royal Guard were similarly entombed. Skylar's face was taking on a pallid colour. "Please…Your Majesty," he wheezed out the words with great effort as his teeth chattered. "This…was not…_us_."

Behind her, Kristoff yelled, "Elsa, stop! You're hurting Anna!"

Instantly, the snowstorm halted, as if time itself had ceased. Splinters and debris rained down helter-skelter, while the once angry snow now descended onto the ground with delicate grace.

Elsa yanked her arm back, breaking the ice around Skylar. He collapsed onto the floor like a ragged doll, coughing and heaving and shivering. She turned around…

…and was faced with a huge glazed ice wall that bore several arrows and broken spears embedded on its other side. Past the wall, Kristoff had his thrown his body over Anna, bearing the brunt of the gale and flying detritus. His quivering back was caked in snow; she saw red scratches on his arms as he began to move. He was panting hard. A few steps further away, Sven was stooped low, covering Olaf underneath him with his entire body. Kristoff heaved himself up, and she saw a thick, wooden bolt sticking out of Anna's chest…

_Anna._

She shambled over to where her younger sister's body lay. Anna's hair and eyelashes were dusted with snow, _her snow_. Her hands were limp at her side.

_Anna._

Each step she took brought forth a craggy disc of ice around her feet, shoving inches of thick snow aside. She stopped. She had to get control of her magic. She could not get any nearer to Anna like this. She had to thaw this storm.

_Love will thaw._ She tried to think of Anna. _Anna in an open coffin. _Think of Anna. _Anna's eyes eternally closed, or are they frozen shut? _Think of love! _The coffin closes over her bloodless face; is lowered into the ground…_

"Anna," Elsa whimpered. Her trembling hands went over her mouth as she fell to her knees, her body racked with sobbing. "I'm so sorry…"

A warm hand suddenly rested upon her back, making her flinch. "Your Majesty," it was a woman's voice, mellow and calm, "if you let me, I can save her."

Elsa's head snapped up to the woman, disbelief and hope warring in her heart. She was carrying a lantern, white snow covering her cloak and dark hair like confectioner's sugar. "I am a healer," she said; she did not appear much older than Elsa, but her eyes had an aged look, as if they had seen and witnessed as many things as an older person would have. "Your sister's injury is grave, but it is not too late. I can still try to save her."

Elsa decided she would bet on hope. She nodded her agreement, unable to get any words past the rocks stuck in her throat. The woman nodded once in reassurance, before springing into action, "Get me some boiled water! And some whiskey or rum!"

Little Swyft – who had presumably escaped before getting caught in her ice – raced away to follow her orders. Plopping the lantern nearby, she knelt in front of Anna and examined her wound. Kristoff sat himself on the other side of Anna's body to give her way, rubbing his forearms. "The bolt missed her heart, but it's punctured one of her lungs," she felt underneath Anna's body, "Single-entry wound, ribs intact…" she ran through her observations with well-practised precision. "I'll need someone to help me. Someone with steady hands," she announced.

Both Kristoff and the healer turned to look at Elsa. Elsa looked down at her hands. They were trembling hard. A white mist hung around them as the air around her fingers began to freeze…

She tucked her hands beneath her elbows and turned her head away.

"I'll do it," Kristoff said, just as Swyft returned – with surprising speed – with a bottle of rum and a wooden basin of water.

The healer set down the satchel she had been carrying, rifling through its contents. She procured a misty green tincture, and dropped a few drops of it into the basin. "What is that?" Kristoff inquired, as she dropped a few other things in. "It's a mixture of alcohol, beeswax and a few other herbs," she replied. She moved her finger in a circular motion over the water and the water began to mix. "It's a makeshift coagulant I invented. It will seal the puncture wound in her lung long enough for her to heal by herself, after which it'll dissolve naturally in her system."

The healer shifted Anna's body carefully over her knees, feeling under her back for something. She gently twirled the bolt shaft, until she got it to a position she wanted. Uncorking the bottle of rum, she moulded the acrid liquid around the bolt and let it seep into the wound. With a steadying breath, she pushed down on the bolt.

There was a sickening _squelch _sound as the bolt head ripped flesh and skin asunder. Her fingers checked Anna's back again, and exhaled with relief. She jerked her hand above into a claw shape, which was followed by the sound of wood snapping. She removed her other hand from below Anna's back, producing the bolt head stinking of rum. The separation cut was remarkably clean.

She checked her mixture in the basin. Satisfied, she pulled and swirled her fingers over the mixture, moulding the mottled liquid into a serpentine shape in her hands. "Now, when I tell you to, you're going to pull the bolt shaft out of her, quick and clean. It's very important that you keep the bolt straight, understand?"

Kristoff nodded, took hold of the bolt, but his face suddenly turned bright red when his other hand tried to find a part on Anna's body to brace himself with. "There's no time to turn squeamish now," she snapped, "Can you do it or not?"

"Kristoff," he looked up at Elsa. "_Please_," she pleaded.

He took a breath to steel himself, and then, on the healer's count, he yanked the bolt shaft out. Immediately the healer squeezed her greenish serpent of liquid into the open wound. Her fingers danced around, working in silence, and everyone there held their breath, so as not to break her concentration.

Finally, she made scooping movements, and red-tinted water, free of sediments, came out of the wound. She let the water fall on the snow, staining it a bright pink. Elsa winced.

The healer laid one hand over the wound, then brought her mouth over Anna's, attempting resuscitation. One breath, two breaths, three breaths, _four breaths, five…_

Anna's eyes shot wide as she gasped for air. The healer held her hand over the wound in place, as if keeping control of something. Once Anna began to breathe more normally, she sagged her shoulders in relief, just as the soldiers and guards began cheering.

Elsa wept with gratitude, with relief, as the snow and ice around her began to melt, and her prisoners were released from their ice cages. Dappled rays of eerie moonlight broke through the convocation of dark clouds as the snowstorm finally broke. "Kristoff?" Anna sounded feeble, fragile. She strained to lift her hand. Kristoff caught it and held it to his cheek. "Yes, Anna. It's me. I'm right here." He pulled her into a tender embrace. "I'm right here," he repeated.

"I'm not finished with her treatment," the healer's expression was grave. "I'll need your help getting her onto a bed, so I can dress her wounds," she turned to Swyft and iterated a list of items she wanted from their ship. Kristoff scooped Anna's frail body in his arms, following the healer into a nearby inn. Elsa made to follow them.

"And just where do you think _you're _going?"

Elsa turned to see Osario hobbling in her direction, dusting his robes. And he was livid. "You think just because you're the Queen, you get to wreck this kind of damage and just _leave_?"

Elsa was feeling more exhausted with every passing minute. "Master Osario," she began, massaging her temples, "I understand your concerns. Let me just see to my sister, and then we can discuss – "

"And you expect all this damage to, what, _wait _for you?" his gravelly voice increased in pitch, "By now the marketplace would be in ruins!" he slammed his cane down with each sentence, "The foreign merchants have to be compensated in some way for their loss! And unless you can somehow turn ice to gold…"

"Your Majesty! Master Osario!" a sun-kissed man with weathered features came running toward them. He smelled of the sea, salt and resin. "There's been a leak! And the shipyard is being flooded, and… and the docks are completely ruined! And some of the ships are drifting away, and… and at this rate…" he stopped in front of them, his palms on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Osario groaned. "…we can't repair that much damage!"

Osario threw his wrinkled hands up in the air, "Perfect," he growled, "Just what I need; _stranded _annoyed traders." He ground his teeth, "I should have guessed. Agnarr has brought nothing but trouble to this town. And now his daughter is here to carry on his legacy of making my life miserable!"

A series of emotions passed through Elsa; first confusion, then surprise, then indignation. And then rage.

"_Master Osario_." She spoke softly, but the menace in her voice was undeniable. Her exhaustion evaporated. She assumed her authority stance, glaring the wrath of dragons down on the Guild Master, "I'm sure you meant, _His Majesty, the Late King Agnarr_."

The shipyard worker trembled. His eyes darted between Osario and Elsa, no doubt wishing he could somehow melt into the background. Osario met her glare with a scowl of his own, but kept his piece.

"You can be angry with me, but I will not tolerate you besmirching my father's name," she felt sharp icicles forming along her arms. With a deep, steadying breath, she suppressed them. "I can help minimise the damage at the shipyard with my powers. It will give you more time to make more permanent repairs."

"And what about the buildings, and the roads, and the rest of the infrastructure?"

"We can help with that."

The three of them turned to see Skylar approaching them. "We have artists of all four elements. The earth and fire artists can help with reconstruction; the water artists can tend to the wounded, if there are any, and the air artists can serve as additional support." He turned to Elsa and his expression softened, "What happened to your sister was despicable, and your reaction to it is perfectly understandable.

"Let us help you," he held out open palms, "Let us show you who we really are."

She regarded him with a look of appraisal. There was understanding in his gaze, true understanding. The understanding of someone who knew what she was feeling, what she was going through. And who had powers like her.

"Alright. We accept your help," Elsa looked down at the Guild Master, whose scowl had grown darker, "looks like you've got your magic workforce. Or is there something else you want to complain about?"

Osario scoffed, then whacked his cane on the shipyard worker's leg as he turned around. "You brought her here, Nikolas. You show her the way," _This is the Head Foreman?!_

As the Head Foreman bent down to clutch his shin, Elsa threw a wistful look in the direction Olaf, the healer and Kristoff had disappeared to, Anna cradled in his arms.

"Don't worry," Skylar clapped a fist to his heart as he followed her line of sight, "if she's in the Spider Doctor's care, she'll be up and about in no time. She's a medical prodigy, that one."

"Sorry, who?"

"Cesara, the Spider Doctor. She's the one taking care of your sister."

…

* * *

As the new posse of magic-wielders dispersed – the straw-haired youth and his brother running off to get their crew, Elsa following a limping head foreman – he pulled one of his soldiers over, and asked him to make sure there were at least two of their guards with each group of magic people, including the Queen. The soldier nodded and left to carry out his orders. He turned to leave, when something on the ground caught his eye.

He glanced around to see if anyone was still there, if anyone had noticed. But everyone else had left to make repairs or help the less fortunate. He shimmied over, picked up and pocketed the broken bolt shaft and head. Then, he made his way back to the Guild House under the silent watch of the stars, his cane clacking upon the cobblestones.


	5. Restraint

**A/N: Hey, folks! Hope y'all are staying safe and keeping healthy! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Restraint**

_Elsa should be here._

Olaf looked at the door to their room. Still closed.

They had rented a room at the first inn they came across. The owner had given them a space in the stable for Sven and a twin bed room at the topmost floor. He was probably trying to be considerate, giving them as much privacy as he could, but Kristoff was on the verge of collapse by the time they made it to the door.

Now he sat on a chair by Anna's bedside, resting his chin over his knuckles, fidgeting. He was worried for Anna. Olaf understood this, because he was worried for Anna too.

Humans were so weird. When the healer received another bag of supplies from her friend with the air powers – who arrived from the window, of all places – she shooed them all out of the room, saying she had to dress the wound. Why couldn't they be around when she was dressing the wound? She'd literally be adding more layers of cloth.

Her friend with the air powers – _Swyft, was it?_ – was intriguing. Just before Elsa transformed everything into snow and ice, he had hopped and zipped behind a wall. Like he was flying, or rather skating on air? The brother yelled something at him, and he just shot off like a mockingbird, not really running, not really flying. Not even a minute later, he zips back, carrying the cloaked healer on his back.

The coming-in-from-the-window part though, that one he _completely_ understood. Since a window is really just a smaller doorway into a room. Or it could be because some of the Royal Guard were stationed outside the room door. They generally had mean faces, although one of them did bring up Anna's haversack, which everyone seemed to have forgotten.

Another thing he couldn't understand was how everyone didn't seem more scared. He had never felt so much horror, so much dread, as he had when the blizzard came down. It was not fear of Elsa, or that he had lost his twig arms to said blizzard, or… well he couldn't quite put his finger on what made him so scared. It was as if, he would never feel warm for the rest of his life. Even now, he could still feel the remnants of that bone-chilling dread. Not that he had bones. But…

But he would think on it later. Right now, Anna was his number-one priority.

_Elsa should be here._

Elsa had created him, but sometimes he felt as if he didn't understand her at all. She was always forcing herself to do things she didn't want to do. Every time he had asked her about it, she would just smile at him and say stuff like, "_This is my responsibility, Olaf. That means I have to do it_," or "_Some things just have to be done, Olaf_," And then she'd float away with a sigh. Anna and Kristoff and Sven don't do that as much. Was it because Elsa was older? Do people have to do more and more things they didn't want to do as they got older? Would Anna and Kristoff and Sven become like Elsa when they got older?

Olaf noticed that the healer, now uncloaked, had stopped fussing over Anna, and was stealing glances at him, so he hopped onto the foot of Anna's bed and faced her directly. She blushed at being caught. He decided he should introduce himself.

"Hello! My name is Olaf! And I like warm hugs!"

The healer blinked, then responded, "Hello, Olaf. My name is Theresa."

"I'm Kristoff," Kristoff raised his hand, "And, well, you've met Anna."

The healer gave a small smile and a nod.

"Thank you very much for saving Anna's life," Kristoff was saying, "I don't know what we would have done if you weren't there."

As the two slipped into conversation, Olaf found himself drawn to the oddities of the human healer, compared to the people he'd been around aaaaall his life. Of a few weeks.

Her voice sounded like drinking hot cocoa by a fire. Her skin was tawny; her eyes the darkest ebony. Her chin-length dark curls were tousled and streaked with gold and copper. He also noticed that she wore rectangular wooden earrings that had painted designs on them, something he'd never seen before in all of Arendelle. And wow, her eyebrows were as thick as his fingers. Of his currently absent arms.

"But I am curious," Theresa was saying, and her attention suddenly shifted to him. _Oh, was I staring? Did she notice?_ "if you don't mind me asking, Snow Spirit Olaf, why did you not intervene?"

_Snow what?_

"Intervene what?" Was he supposed to understand this question?

"No, no," Kristoff shook his head, "Olaf is a snow_man_, not snow spirit."

Theresa cocked her head, "What's the difference?"

Kristoff scratched his head, "Well… For one, Olaf doesn't have any ice powers. He couldn't have stopped the blizzard any more than we could've."

"What do you mean he doesn't have any powers? He is walking and talking by himself."

"That's Elsa's magic. She made him come to life when she created him."

_Elsa should be here._

Theresa's jaw dropped, "The Queen created him?!" She regarded him with a wide-eyed expression, "So you're her familiar, then?"

Olaf nodded, "Yes, Theresa. I'm quite familiar with both Elsa and Anna."

Kristoff groaned, "Okay, first of all, you're not a familiar. You're just… _you. _Okay?

Olaf raised an eyebrow. "Okay, _dude_, technically I knew Elsa and Anna long before you showed up – "

"And secondly," Kristoff ignored him, "she said her name is _Theresa_, not Theresa."

Olaf looked at Kristoff like he was stupid, "Yeah. That's what I said." _Where was all this attitude coming from?_

Theresa chuckled. "I think I'm beginning to understand what you mean." Then her eyebrows furrowed, "But for what purpose? If he has no powers of his own, then…"

He was still a bit clueless with regard to what she was talking about, but he felt, that now would be a good time to be offended, "Hey, I'm right here." He crossed his arms, then realised he didn't have any.

"But how is she sustaining you after expending all that energy? How do you have your own personality? How do you breathe? _Do _you breathe? And what…"

Theresa was firing question after question, looking younger and more her age for the first time. It was like looking in a mirror. Olaf recognised the look on her face as matching the feeling he sometimes had when he saw something new and fascinating.

But he would bond with the increasingly likable Theresa later. Right now, Anna was his number-one priority and Elsa should b –

The door creaked open, and Olaf felt before he saw Elsa enter the room. "Elsa's here!" _Finally!_

Now that Elsa was here, everything was right where it should be. They could all sit together and watch Anna get better.

Elsa looked tired, but a different kind of tired from Kristoff. _Weary_, perhaps? She was slouching a little, as if she was carrying some invisible burden on her shoulders that was becoming too heavy to bear. Her normally neat, iced-back loose braid had several strands of hair sticking out. Grey rings parked under her eyes, making her eyes look darker and hollower. Her hands hung limp at her side.

She saw him bobbing up towards her and her mouth curled upward, "Hello, Olaf," she knelt down in front of him and patted his head. He liked when she patted his head. It made him feel like warm pudding on the inside.

"Here," she produced two sticks from behind her and lodged them at either his side. _My arms!_ "You found my arms!" he squealed with excitement, then wrapped his newly-found arms around her. She hugged him back.

"How's Anna?" she asked the room in general as she got up and made her way to a few paces behind Kristoff.

"Resting," Theresa replied. "I've also given her something for the pain, so she might be in and out of it for a while. But as long as she sleeps, she'll recover quickly. I'll also be using some of my powers to expedite the healing process."

Elsa nodded, her eyes welling up. "Thank you. Thank you so much for everything."

Theresa was about to respond, when Anna suddenly mumbled, "Whazzis? Where'm I?" her words were slurring. Kristoff scooted his chair closer to her bed, "Hey, Anna," he laid his hand over hers, their touch separated by the blanket. "It's okay. You got hurt while we were in town, but Theresa here has patched you up and you're gonna be okay."

"Oh," Anna giggled, "Why 'hat's very kind've you, Th'eya."

"It's the painkillers," Theresa explained when Elsa began to look worried, "She just needs to sleep it off."

"You hear that, Anna?" Kristoff cooed, "you need to sleep if you wanna feel better."

"Kristoff? Izzat you?"

"Yes, Anna, it's me. It's Kristoff. I'm right here."

Anna smacked her lips, as if she was thirsty, "I don't think… I 'ver thanked you."

"For what?" Kristoff's expression softened.

A languid, satisfied smile formed on Anna's lips, "Last night… _was incredible_."

Elsa shot Kristoff a questioning look, eyebrow cocked and mouth turned. Kristoff recoiled from Anna's bedside when he saw Elsa's expression, hands up in surrender, "We just had dinner, I swear."

"I ne'er knew you'ad… such an appetite," Anna drawled.

"I had three bowls of rabbit stew," Kristoff cringed, a shielding hand over his eyes.

"You have _such, _big, hands!"

"I honestly don't know where that came from, I –"

"Kristoff…" Elsa extended her hand.

"Eek!" Kristoff curled up in his seat, just as Elsa's fingers lightly grazed his shoulder, before falling to her side again, "…thank you for saving Anna's life."

Olaf didn't quite understand why Kristoff was flustered, but he understood even less why Elsa looked so sad. Kristoff saving Anna was a good thing. _Why is she sad?_

"Oh, _owhhhh!_" Anna crowed, "Elsa! Elsa, c'mere, c'mere, c'mere!"

Elsa seemed hesitant, but finally walked closer to the bed, "Anna, you should be resting."

"C'mere! Closer, closer! Gimme your hand," Anna stretched out her hands in Elsa's general direction. And yet still, for some reason, Elsa was reluctant. "It's okay," Theresa said. Elsa nodded, then extended her hand. Anna caught it with surprising speed, and pressed it over her face.

"Oh, _oohhoohohohhoo yeeesss…_," Anna purred, "This's what I'm talking about!" she pulled down on Elsa's arm until Elsa dropped on the bed, hugging her entire forearm in a vice. "Your 'ands're so cool and… comfortable," Anna yawned, then drifted back to sleep.

Olaf felt some of that inexplicable dread melt away as Elsa's expression softened. She used her free hand to brush some locks of Anna's hair over her forehead. "Oh, Anna," she whispered, "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you," she hung her head, "I shouldn't have let you come here. Not when you don't have powers of your own to protect yourself with."

"Are you kidding?" Anna's reply startled Elsa, who might have thought Anna was asleep and couldn't hear her, "I…am Anna. That…by default…makes me _invincible._

"All you got was fancy ice powers."

Elsa let out a weak chuckle, even as her eyes began to water. She rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, then bent down to kiss Anna on the forehead. "Sleep well, Anna. I'll be back."

Gently, she pried her arm free of Anna's grip, then got up. "I'll leave her in your care, Theresa," then she addressed Kristoff, "I'll be gone a while. Will you be there for Anna when she wakes up?"

"Of course," Kristoff looked at her with concern, "but it's so late at night. And the shooter could still be out there. Can't you wait till morning?" She looked so tired. Olaf wished she would get some sleep too.

"Some things have to be done sooner than later," Elsa nodded her appreciation, "I know what I'm doing," then turned to leave. _Why was she leaving? She should be here. Doesn't she want to stay?_

"Don't you want to stay?" Olaf asked, bobbing after her. She knelt down to stroke his head and sighed, "Some things just have to be done, Olaf," then she got up and closed the door behind her.

…

* * *

"Guard the room."

Ever since she arrived here, she has only been faced with more questions and no new answers. By now, it was clear that someone was after her. Was it the same attacker as last night? But why did he not use his magic? If it was the same attacker, she doubted the Royal Guard who had taken chase would succeed in catching him. But if there were more parties involved in whatever this plot was, well… she will find out tomorrow.

The guards at the door saluted. She turned to walk back down the staircase, and two of the Royal Guard made to follow her. She stopped them.

"Stay here. Look after the Princess," she halted, "_All _of them."

"But, Your Majesty," it was a female guard, "What about you?"

She needed more information on this Council of Elements and she needed it now. Cesara was an outsider, but she seemed a bona fide healer, who genuinely cared about Anna's wellbeing. And Elsa knew she could definitely trust Anna with Kristoff and Olaf. With the full force of her Royal Guard here, she would at least to a certain degree, ensure the safety of her company.

"I'll be fine. I just need to check on something."

From here on, she would have to proceed on her own. All this while, she had been going about this problem as _Elsa_. And it has been one blunder after the other. No more. From here on, she was _Queen of Arendelle_. And in order to figure out her next move, she needed to investigate. She needed answers.

Hence, she headed off into the inkwell of night to the closest place she knew that would have the answers she needed. And to calm the agony of her twisting heart, she resolved to stay as far away from Anna as possible until nothing else remained that could endanger her safety.

* * *

**A/N: If you got confused by that last part, "Cesara" is pronounced "Th-SAH-ruh".**

**No it really is.**


End file.
